


Absence

by sunsetjenny



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Flashbacks, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Owl Mom Eda, Post-Episode: s01e18 Agony of a Witch, Sad Hooty, Sad Luz Noceda, Trauma, dealing with grief, sad king
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:15:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26096221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsetjenny/pseuds/sunsetjenny
Summary: *Spoilers for Episode 18*After the horrific battle between Eda and Lilith, Luz finds herself deep in thought on her way back to the Owl House.She just lost her mentor/second mom all in one hour.
Relationships: Eda Clawthorne & Luz Noceda, Eda Clawthrone & Luz Noceda & King & Hooty, King & Luz Noceda
Comments: 22
Kudos: 147





	Absence

**Author's Note:**

> I have never written for the Owl House, so bare with me here guys!!!!
> 
> I haven't seen anyone write anything about what happened after Luz gets back home, so I said fuck it, I'll do it.
> 
> I miss Eda :(

Learning to become a witch had been more complicated and draining then Luz had expected.

Even traumatic if she thought about it too deeply.

Sure, she had the general overall idea that learning to be a witch would involve practicing witchcraft, discovering how to create potions and an abundance of various spells, and most of all, receiving those cliché life lessons that would impact her greatly in the future. 

At least, that's what Luz had thought training to become a witch was like from her essential knowledge of all the Good Witch Azura books she had stored away in the hidden space underneath her neatly folded bed, away from the prying eyes of her mother's worried expressions. 

She had been severely wrong on several accounts.

Becoming a witch took focus, dedication, self-control, and of course the hardest out of the four, patience.

Patience had never been Luz's forte.

Patience is what had gotten Luz up to this point in the Boiling Isles, the faint pounding of Eda's magic exploding around Luz in a symphony of yellow glowing light knocking against the inside of her temples, making every step she took more difficult than the last.

Dragging her feet along the rough dirt path, Luz shakily swung her arms side by side, mind far away from the alternate reality around her, the hazy warm tones of the Owl House waving at her from a nearby clearing in the thick woods, daylight pouring out from all sides.

Dawn had fastly approached the large chaotic island as Luz broke free from the vicious grip of the dense forest, begrudgingly making her way towards the towering building she had called home for the past few weeks, the house demon, Hooty, snoring loudly in his spot on the door as he stirred awake with a flemy cough, eyes blinking slowly as he focused in on the human girl approaching gradually, mood perking up.

"Hey, Luz!" Hooty squawked annoyingly as he smiled widely at the young witch, obliviously noticing Luz's distressed mood as she tugged on the front door handle, avoiding eye contact with the all too cheerful creature.

"Hi Hooty," Luz sighed quietly towards the owl, hesitantly standing in place as she stared into the dark living room of the house, everything seeming out of order or wrong from when she last left Eda and King for an expected normal day of school.

Eda.

Swallowing down the massive dose of guilt that had reemerged in her throat, Luz barely stepped way into the spacious room when a burst of life sprang out of the tall frosted cake conveniently placed in front of her, King's small, skull covered head popping out with an exaggerated shout of surprise, his voice squeaking with excitement.

Staring at him blankly, Luz shifted her eyes around the room as she drank in the now sharply detailed party balloons and banners that hung sloppily from the ceiling, reminding her of dollar store decorations for a young kid's birthday party that was expected to be trampled and ruined within seconds. 

Why was this here?

"Hey, where's Eda?" King asked suddenly in confusion as he tilted his head innocently to the side, craning his head behind Luz to get a better look at the door, almost expecting the Owl Lady herself to be standing there proudly, face soft as she watched Luz excitedly jump around and gush about the surprise party they had thrown for her.

For her.

Unable to hold back the choking feeling of remorse and guilt, Luz's eyes glazed over with tears as her legs became weak and wobbly, giving out underneath her in one swift movement as she hit the floor with a mild thump, the world tilting at an angle as everything that had happened only hours earlier hit Luz at once, grief consuming her.

Tears poured out of the corners of Luz's eyes as she sobbed weakly on the floor, nothing but silence escaping the crevice of her mouth as she stared morosely at her hands, the delicate scamper of King's footsteps echoing around the room as he practically ran to Luz's side, hands cupping her own. 

"I lost her, King, she's gone," Luz cried through sobs, body shaking violently with the onslaught of hopelessness that twisted around her chest tightly, compressing her lungs together.

"What do you mean? Eda can't die! No one could kill Eda!"

Opening her mouth to answer, Luz shook her head painfully as tidal waves of memories flooded through the young Latina's brain, releasing a waterfall of freshly salted tears onto her cheeks, sparkling in the dim morning light. 

The day Luz and Eda had first met on that ill-fated day Luz had been expected to go the formal summer camp to fix her overly imaginative view on life.

When Luz had met King later that morning and fell head over heels in love for the short, dog-like creature, the two later becoming best demon and witch friends.

Or that secret, intimate moment the three had shared that second night on the Boiling Isles above the Owl House, Eda explaining to Luz the wonders of the Isle as the sun set beautifully over the horizon, the twinkling stars greeting Luz one by one as she rested her head on the Owl Lady's shoulders, King snuggled comfortably into her side.

Eda had sworn to her later to never bring that up to anyone else or she would eat her whole.

Luz knew she had been joking.

Or she had hoped she was joking.

It was those sleepless nights when the burdening responsibility of keeping her magical adventures in another dimension secret from her trusting mother on Earth kept Luz away to the bitter hours of the morning, not even the alluring warmth bouncing off King's fur cradling her to sleep.

When she dared to enter the dark mess of Eda's room with a handful of blankets to lean against the shell of her nest, sticks poking and prodding her back as she rested against the thorny structure silently, eyes growing heavy as she buried herself neck high in blankets, the tender press of a heated hand ruffling the silky locks of Luz's hair before resting gently on top of her head, the final push into pulling her back into a peaceful slumber.

When she awoke the next morning to the melodious glow of the morning light caressing King's face while he cuddled safely into her hip, head leaning sleepily on one of the many blankets she had brought the night before, practically almost stealing all but one for Luz herself.

And most of all, the shocking discovery of finding Eda napping on Luz's side of the nest, hand still nestled caringly in her hair, the Owl Lady's weak spot for the human girl shining through in those few quiet moments in the morning, where vulnerability and affection began to shine through the walls of the laid back, most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles, a bond greater than the trust itself binding the two beings together in an affectionate dance of feathers and magic.

"And Luz, thank you for being in my life."

"Lilith, Eda's own sister killed her, she forced Eda to use up all her magic to trap her in the Owl Beast form forever." Luz eventually sputtered out, hunching closer to herself as King encouragingly squeezed her trembling hands, begging her to continue what had happened. "She used me."

In shame of how easily she had been captured, Luz inched the top of her now sandy cat hoody over her head, ignoring the way the cat ears flopped forward limply as she hid her tear-stained cheeks behind the smooth material, hugging King to her chest. The demon gratefully accepted her suffocating hold as he hugged back, tears falling gracelessly from the two engraved holes in the skull he wore, smearing over the decomposing surface, dripping onto the front of Luz's shirt.

The sudden rustle of clothes startled Luz as she caught the tail end of King's skull dropping to the floor with a hollow thud, rolling towards the direction of the freshly painted coffee table as the shrunken demon buried his head closer to Luz, the witch apprentice deciding against taking a glance at King's true form as a way of respect, understanding how frightening it is to show your true selves around others. 

"Eda was planning on giving this to you when you got back from your field trip, so I thought you may want it now," Hooty whispered, breaking the suffocating silence of the house, setting a skillfully wrapped article of clothing on her lap, a faded red bow smiling up at her, a sickening reminder of what could have been an awestruck gift to receive.

"Eda would personally annihilate me if she ever found out I told you this, but when Hooty had tricked Eda into believing you were outside the door earlier, I never saw her so happy. Her face lit up at just the mention of your name," King mumbled dryly into Luz's chest, hands clenching into tiny fists. "You were important to her, Luz."

By the time King finished speaking, Luz had unwrapped the heartfelt gift to reveal a freshly knitted cloak, it's velvety purple color reminding her of the yarn Eda had been cooking the day before, a razor-sharp needle jabbing her heart as she held the cloak loosely in her hands, the discreet smell of pine needles, apple blood, and owl's fur reaching Luz's nose, tears wetting the new material. 

Eda had made it for her.

Without hesitating, Luz tucked the cloak over King and her as she lifted the end up for Hooty, the owl demon ducking under it as his beak wobbled slightly, eyes glassing over, tears threatening to slip free from his captivity.

"We're going to get her back, I promise."

Gazing out at the rising sun, it's vibrant colors blinding Luz for a split second, the young witch pulled out her phone from a secure side pocket of her shorts at the sound of buzzing, her mother's name lightening up across the screen.

Mamá.

Declining the phone call, Luz swiftly flicked her wrist to the side, sliding the already cracked phone across the floor towards King's now discarded skull head, too exhausted to talk to or even read the messages her Mamá might have left her.

With that done, Luz folded in on herself as she rested her face in her hands, the darkness of the lifeless room comforting her as the sound of distant footsteps rattled through her ears, her name being called out by three individually people at once as they approached the doorframe.

It was going to be ok.

She would get Eda back.

Eventually.

**Author's Note:**

> Catch me crying over Owl Mom Eda :(((
> 
> SHE LOOKED SO HAPPY WHEN SAYING LUZ'S NAME


End file.
